Lastness
July dusk. Parched grass, pale whelk, sharp rock
Seaglass lump, maple lace, glazed cup, pine cone
Lichened twig, blunt cork, down feather, stubbed chalk
Moss, blackbird shell, acorn cap, quartz-stung stone
Talisman: the last word taught in childhood
Seed, stalk, husk – both archaic and brand-new
The first terms learnt in old age: will, heirloom
Legacy, testament; estate, accrue.
Winter morning. Cloud-white box, faïence tray
Plaster cube, salt cellar, tea sieve, brass latch
Beeswax taper, silk square, unfired clay
Alabaster urn, smoked glass, burnt match
This sun-ruffled catalogue, steadied by rhyme
This landscape of objects, shadowed by time
July dusk. Parched grass, pale whelk, sharp rock
Seaglass lump, maple lace, glazed cup, pine cone
Lichened twig, blunt cork, down feather, stubbed chalk
Moss, blackbird shell, acorn cap, quartz-stung stone
Talisman: the last word taught in childhood
Seed, stalk, husk – both archaic and brand-new
The first terms learnt in old age: will, heirloom
Legacy, testament; estate, accrue.
Winter morning. Cloud-white box, faïence tray
Plaster cube, salt cellar, tea sieve, brass latch
Beeswax taper, silk square, unfired clay
Alabaster urn, smoked glass, burnt match
This sun-ruffled catalogue, steadied by rhyme
This landscape of objects, shadowed by time